Ferris State University Picked To Win GLIAC Title In 2012 Coaches’ Preseason Volleyball Poll

BAY CITY, Mich. -- If the preseason American
Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll is
any indication, it appears the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (GLIAC) race will be another hard-fought battle from
start to finish – where every match will hold great
meaning.

In the preseason AVCA national poll, defending GLIAC Tournament
and regular-season South Division champion Hillsdale College is
tied for 10th while Ferris, the defending regular-season champion,
is ranked 14th in the nation.

2012 GLIAC Volleyball
Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Place

School (1st votes)

Points

1.

Ferris State (10)

211

2.

Hillsdale (3)

193

3.

Grand Valley State (1)

176

4.

Saginaw Valley State (1)

173

5.

Wayne St. (1)

168

6.

Ashland

167

7.

Northwood

156

8.

Northern Mich

152

9.

Findlay

115

10.

Ohio
Dominican

93

11.

Lake Superior

75

12.

Tiffin

73

13.

Walsh

54

14.

Malone

45

15.

Michigan
Tech

43

16.

Lake Erie

25

The GLIAC race figures to feature tough battles nearly every
time out in one of the nation’s premier Division II
volleyball conference. In addition to the preseason national
rankings for the Chargers and Bulldogs, Grand Valley State was
listed among “Others Receiving Votes” in the poll
released on Aug. 14.

In the preseason GLIAC poll, the coaches tabbed Ferris State
University to win the 2012 GLIAC title, outdistancing second-place
Hillsdale College by a 211-193 tally. The Bulldogs garnered
10 first-place votes while the Chargers earned just three.

GLIAC volleyball teams open play on Friday, Aug. 31 with
conference play beginning Sunday, Sept. 30. The 2012 GLIAC
Volleyball Tournament will begin with quarterfinals on Nov. 14 on
campus sites, with the semifinals and final held on Nov. 17-18 on
the campus of the No. 1 seed.

-- The following are previews of all 16 GLIAC Volleyball
teams for the 2012 season --

OVERVIEW: Ashland opens the season with some
talented young players on its roster led by senior outside hitter
Brittany Snider. The Eagles closed the season with a loss to
12th-ranked Ferris State, but won five of its last seven matches.
With a young team that features strong, youthful talent, Ashland is
taking aim at climbing the ladder toward the top of its division in
the talent-rich GLIAC.

THE PLAYERS: Snider returns after finishing last
season with 210 kills and 104 digs. Senior setter Crystal Elliott
returns after totaling 1,010 assists and 96 kills. Elliott also
ranked second on the team in digs last season with 199. As a team,
Ashland finished with a team attack percentage of .203 vs. .195 for
the opposition. Junior Baley Bernthisel, listed at middle blocker
and outside hitter, finished the 2011 season with 143 kills and
returns as one of the team’s top hitters.

THE COACH: Ashland is coached by Cass Dixon,
who is in her second season as the head coach of the Eagles.

OF INTEREST: The Eagles open the 2012 season Aug
31 and Sept. 1 at the Truman State Days Inn Bulldog Invitational in
Kirksville, Mo.

OVERVIEW: Ferris State University is coming off
of one of its best seasons in recent memory as it finished 27-4
overall, won the GLIAC North Division championship and advanced to
the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament. The Bulldogs
finished 18-1 in the conference. Ferris has a solid supporting cast
returning to lead the team into the 2012 season led by 5-foot-11
senior setter Samantha Fordyce and 6-foot-2 senior middle hitter
Anne Sutton. Ferris officially opens its 2012 season on Friday,
Aug. 31, with a pair of non-league matches in its own Ferris State
Invitational in Big Rapids. The team hosts Alderson-Broaddus
(W.Va.) and Mercyhurst in its first two matches of the tournament.
The Bulldogs then conclude play at the invitational on Saturday,
Sept. 1, with contests against West Virginia State and Clarion
(Pa.). The Bulldogs enter the 2012 season ranked 14th in the
American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top
25 Poll.

THE PLAYERS: The Bulldogs return with an
experienced roster that includes 11 letterwinners from 2011,
including a pair of All-GLIAC and all-region honorable mention
picks in Fordyce and Sutton. Ferris features solid depth at the
hitter positions with Courtney Rehm, a 6-foot-2 middle hitter; Angi
Kent, a 6-foot-2 middle hitter; and Aly Brecht, a 5-foot-10 senior
outside hitter and a 2011 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention choice. Rehm
was the 2011 GLIAC Freshman of the Year and an All-GLIAC Second
Team choice in 2011. The Bulldogs will look for candidates to step
in and fill the void left by the graduation of standout Lisa
Tobiczyk, the 2011 GLIAC Libero of the Year. Fordyce and Sutton
were 2011 All-GLIAC First Team competitors.

THE COACH: Ferris is coached by Tia
Brandel-Wilhelm, who is in her 17th season as the head coach of the
Bulldogs. Brandel-Wilhelm was the 2011 GLIAC Coach of the Year.

OF INTEREST: The Ferris women’s volleyball
program is celebrating its 40th season of intercollegiate
competition this fall.

OVERVIEW: The University of Findlay volleyball
team is coming off of a solid 15-12 2011 season and ended the year
on a high note, winning 10 out of its last 11 matches to carry
momentum into the spring and onto the fall. The Oilers hope to use
the momentum picked up at the end of last fall to carry the program
into the GLIAC Tournament for the first time since 2007.

THE PLAYERS: Junior Danielle Taflinger and
senior Andrea Holthaus will return to lead the Oilers at middle
hitter. Taflinger was named second team all-GLIAC last year as a
sophomore and was an honorable mention all-Midwest Region pick. She
totaled 264 kills with a .360 hitting percentage, the fifth best
mark in the conference. Holthaus totaled 83 total blocks and 56
kills. At right side, senior Maggie Naayers returns after she
totaled 127 kills, 45 total blocks and 47 digs in 2011. Junior
Mackenzie Vorst will lead the Oilers group of outside hitters in
2012 as she led the team with 305 kills as a sophomore. She was an
honorable mention All-GLIAC pick as she also tallied 166 digs, 36
aces and 44 blocks last year. Sophomore Samantha Granger is coming
off a great first season as she totaled 216 kills, 147 digs and 27
aces. Sophomore Amanda Calhoun and redshirt sophomore Kylee
Greenwood will be pacing the offense this fall. Calhoun saw action
in 19 matches in 2011 and finished with 97 assists.

THE COACH: Findlay is coached by Wick
Colchagoff, who is in his 15th season as the head coach of the
Oilers.

OF INTEREST: Findlay is returning 10
letterwinners this season and four starters.

OVERVIEW: Grand Valley State recorded its 19th
consecutive winning season in 2011, as the Lakers went 14-13
overall. In GLIAC play, GVSU was 11-8 and placed fourth in the
GLIAC North Division. The Lakers will look to get back to being one
of the league and region’s elite teams, as head coach Deanne
Scanlon returns five starters and 10 letterwinners. Entering her
18th season at GVSU, Scanlon owns a career record of 443-135, while
her .766 winning percentage is 10th best in Division II
history.

THE PLAYERS: The Lakers bring back three
all-conference players from last season, including the team’s
lone senior, Eno Umoh. In 2011, Umoh was second in the GLIAC with
126 total blocks, hit .255, and led GVSU with 23 service aces. She
was an All-GLIAC Second Team selection, as was junior middle
blocker Abby Ebels. Owning the seventh-best hitting percentage
(.328) in the conference last year, Ebels added 128 kills and 71
blocks. Sophomore setter Clair Ruhenkamp was an All-GLIAC Honorable
Mention choice, as she dished out 731 assists (10th in the league),
while adding 168 digs and 22 aces. GVSU also returns sophomore
outside hitter Abby Aiken, as she delivered a team-high 245 kills,
115 digs, and 36 blocks in her true freshman season. Junior Megan
Schroeder will be another big contributor, as the right side hitter
notched 166 kills in her first season with the Lakers. Scanlon has
a freshman class of eight players, including outside hitters Carley
Gross, Jess Majerle, and Betsy Ronda, all of which are expected to
be in the everyday lineup.

THE COACH: Deanne Scanlon is entering her 18th
season as the head volleyball coach at Grand Valley.

OF INTEREST: Scanlon owns a career record of
443-135, while her .766 winning percentage is 10th best in Division
II history.

OVERVIEW: In 2011, the Hillsdale College
volleyball program enjoyed a year with unprecedented success. The
Chargers finished with a record of 31-3, won their third straight
GLIAC championship and won the school’s first-ever NCAA
Division II regional championship. The season came to an end in the
NCAA Final Four, and with three players earning All-American
honors. But 2012 brings a new year and a much different look to the
Chargers. Seven new players were recruited and those seven players
will complement nine talented and battle-tested returnees. Senior
middle hitter Lauren Grover returns as the most experienced player
for Hillsdale. She was named to the NCAA Elite Eight All-Tournament
Team and Second-Team All-GLIAC last year. She’s also the
Senior Class President in 2012-13 at Hillsdale College. The
Chargers enter the 2012 season tied for 10th in the American
Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top 25
Poll.

THE PLAYERS: Senior middle hitter Lauren Grover
returns as the most experienced player for Hillsdale. She was named
to the NCAA Elite Eight All-Tournament Team and Second-Team
All-GLIAC last year. She’s also the Senior Class President in
2012-13 at Hillsdale College. Senior Kaleigh Shuster is an athletic
outside hitter who played her best volleyball in the season’s
final five weeks in 2011. The junior class is led by Caitlin
Kopmeyer, another all-around threat, who was named to the GLIAC
All-Tournament Team. Look for Sydney Lenhart to play a bigger role
either at setter or defensive specialist, and Bekah Draves supplies
power at right-side hitter. Sophomores Lindsay Kostrzewa, Bailey
Lindner, Alexis Waugh, Meagan McPhetridge and Kat Carpenter all had
limited roles last year, but should step into much bigger roles
this year. Two freshmen to watch include the 2011-12 Gatorade
Player of the Year in Indiana, Emily Wolfert, and middle hitter
Haylee Booms, who finished her prep career as the all-time leader
in career kills at Marysville High School, one of Michigan’s
most successful high school programs.

THE COACH: The Chargers are coached by GLIAC and
Midwest Regional Coach of the Year Chris Gravel

OF INTEREST: Gravel has led Hillsdale to an
unprecedented three straight conference tournament championships,
and a record of 60-5 the past two years.

OVERVIEW: Lake Erie enters the 2012 season with
a young squad as players and coaches roll up their sleeves to get
to work moving the program forward. Lake Erie finished with three
wins in 2011, but returns to the court this fall with some talented
young players hungry to step up and lead the Storm to more
wins.

THE PLAYERS: Youth will lead the way for Lake
Erie this season as the Storm have two of its top offensive players
from 2011 returning in Jamie Hoppe, a junior outside hitter and a
2011 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention competitor, and Molly Richardson,
another junior outside hitter. Hoppe totaled 160 kills last season
to lead the Storm while Richardson tallied 154 kills. Hoppe was
second on the team last season in digs with 174. Returning setters
are senior Stephanie Minotas and sophomore Samantha Knepley, a
converted hitter. The setters put in work during the off season to
be ready for the fall as Lake Erie reloads at that key position.
Paige Baldauf, a senior defensive specialist and Rachael Ritt, a
senior DS, solidify the backline defense for the Storm. Baldauf had
205 digs last season. Ritt totaled 110 digs. Destiny Prusky, a
sophomore middle hitter and all-conference high jumper in track,
totaled 32 total blocks.

THE COACH: Lake Erie is coached by Brian
Coughlin, who is in his second season as the head coach of the
Storm.

OF INTEREST: All of the 2011 victories last
season for the Storm came on Lake Erie’s home court.

OVERVIEW: Lake Superior graduated several
productive seniors from its 2011 squad, but that has opened the
door for younger players to step in and take leadership roles on
the court for second-year coach Ben Kaszeta. The coaching staff has
put together a large recruiting class in its first year out on the
road working to attract people to Lake State. The newcomers will
join a roster that includes two returning seniors and five
returning juniors.

THE PLAYERS: The Lakers have a blend of youth
and experience returning to the court this season led by senior
outside hitter Nikki Stratelak, who totaled 178 kills last season.
Emily Snyder, a junior hitter, is back in the mix along with setter
Marylou, Drobish, who shared the setter duties last season with
Janelle Balkwill. Snyder totaled 142 kills last season and totaled
96 digs. Katie Fitzpatrick, a defensive specialist who can also
play setter, returns to the court this season after totaling 266
digs, good for second on the team in 2011.

THE COACH: Lake Superior is coached by Ben
Kaszeta, who is in his second season as the head coach of the
Lakers.

OF INTEREST: Lake Superior graduated five
seniors from the 2011 team, including two of its starting hitters,
a starting setter and the school’s career leader in digs,
Brittany Newberry.

OVERVIEW: Malone enters its first season of
competition as a member of the GLIAC. The Pioneers open their
season on Sept. 4 with a match at Cedarville University as it gears
up for the stiff competition ahead of them in the GLIAC – a
league stocked with several of the top NCAA Division II programs in
the nation. Last season, Malone finished with a 29-15 record
overall, including 8-1 at home.

THE PLAYERS: Senior middle hitter Hannah Haver
returns for her final season after tallying 2.4 kills (second among
returnees) and 1.95 digs per game. Senior setter Jackie
Schwamberger also returns for her final year after posting 9.34
assists and 2.14 digs (tops among returnees) per contest last
season. In addition, Schwamberger earned National Christian College
Athletic Association (NCCAA) Second Team All-America honors last
year. Junior middle hitter Lauren Townley will also provide
leadership for the squad as she returns after blasting 2.54 kills
(tops among returnees) per game last season while also collecting a
team-best .61 blocks per contest last fall.

THE COACH: Malone is coached by Tanya Hockman,
who begins her 14th season on the sidelines this fall. Through her
13 seasons, Hockman has amassed an impressive 353-186 record (65.4
winning percentage) including a 29-15 mark last season. The
Pioneers are returning five starters and eight letterwinners from
the 2011 campaign.

OF INTEREST: Malone opens its season on the
road at Cedarville on Sept. 4 and then competes in the Lock Haven
(Pa.) Tournament Sept. 7-8 before opening GLIAC play on the road at
Tiffin (Sept. 13) and Ohio Dominican (Sept. 14). The home opener is
Sept. 18 against Indiana (Pa.).

OVERVIEW: Michigan Tech begins a new era in the
history of its volleyball program as Matt Jennings was introduced
as its new head coach back in January. Jennings had spent the last
three seasons as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at
NCAA Division I University of Pittsburgh of the Big East. Jennings
will seek to turn that Division I coaching experience, as an
assistant, into Division II success, in this opportunity as a head
coach.

THE PLAYERS: The Huskies feature a very young
roster in 2012 with one senior, setter Skylar Paffenroth, a setter.
Tech has four juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen. Jordan
Kero, a junior outside hitter is one of the top returning offensive
players for the Huskies having recorded a team-best 167 kills last
season. She added 25 total blocks and 109 digs. Shelby Jones, a
sophomore outside hitter, returns off a solid freshman season in
2011 during which she totaled 136 kills with 147 digs. Abby DeWitt,
a junior outside hitter, is back in the Black and Gold after a
solid sophomore season that included 51 kills and 206 digs.

THE COACH: Michigan Tech is coached by Matt
Jennings, who is in his first season as the head coach of the
Huskies.

OF INTEREST: Jennings is a native of Chicago, who
played volleyball at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., from
2000-03. As a student-athlete, he was a four-year starter, a
two-time all-conference performer and a 2002 Collegiate Club
All-American. He helped his team to a national third-place finish
in 2002.

OVERVIEW: Northern Michigan has several
talented returning players who played key roles in the team’s
success in 2011. Head coach Dominic Yoder will be looking for that
group to provide leadership as the team fills in holes left by the
graduation of some key performers for the Wildcats last fall. The
coaching staff hit the recruiting trail hard to bring in talented
freshman and transfers who could help provide some experience as
NMU seeks to remain competitive in one of the toughest Division II
volleyball leagues in the nation.

THE PLAYERS: Northern’s team will be led
by several players, including junior hitter Lina Lopes, and junior
hitter Kalli Herron. Lopes last season finished third on the team
in kills with 240 while Herron was fourth with 159. Lopes was among
the team leaders in digs last season with 220 while Herron ranked
among the NMU leaders in total blocks with 52, including seven
total blocks. The Wildcats have some new blood running the team
from the setter position with three players competing for the
duties, including junior Kellisha Harley, sophomore Kaitlyn Hoffman
and freshman Miranda Hilgers.

THE COACH: Northern Michigan is coached by
Dominic Yoder, who is in his sixth season as the head coach of the
Wildcats.

OF INTEREST: The Wildcats posted a winning
record for the ninth consecutive season in 2011, as it finished
15-14 overall.

OVERVIEW: Northwood is coming off a solid
season in GLIAC play and looks ahead to 2012 as it blends some
talented newcomers in with talented veteran players. The
Timberwolves return just two seniors to the floor in 2012, but they
will be called upon to step into leadership roles with Northwood.
The coaching staff is looking to tap into the youthful energy and
desire to improve upon the team’s 11-8 record in the GLIAC
last season.

THE PLAYERS: The two returning seniors for
Northwood are Tatjana Rajic, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker who totaled
218 kills in 2011, and Rachel Hamblin, a 5-foot-10 setter who had
130 assists last season. Beyond the two seniors, Northwood has
seven juniors, two sophomores, a redshirt freshman and six
freshmen. To some extent youth will be served, but head coach Tim
Koth will look to his two seniors and other emerging leaders to
steer the team in the right direction in what will be – as
always – a very challenging schedule of GLIAC competition.
Zina Liubymova, a 5-10 junior outside hitter who had 244 kills and
261 digs, and Kristin Perschon, a 6-foot middle blocker. Perschon
finished with 109 kills in 2011. Jordan Dunn, who had 866 assists
last season, could be a factor at the setter position as well for
the Timberwolves. Angie Sparling, a 6-2 middle blocker, enters her
junior season after a solid freshman campaign. Sparling finished
with 144 kills in 2011.

THE COACH: Northwood is coached by Tim Koth,
who enters his seventh season as the head coach of the
Timberwolves.

OF INTEREST: As the NU head coach, Koth has put
together a record of 128-106 and led his program to the GLIAC
Tournament seven times. In his career as a head coach, Koth has
compiled 234 victories in women’s volleyball.

OVERVIEW: Ohio Dominican enters 2012 after
finishing 12-17 overall and 5-14 in the GLIAC last season. The
Panthers have three seniors returning in middle hitter Shannon
Nadler, setter Meredith Shifley and hitter Kristy Birkemeier. Coach
Sandy Rowley’s squad has a strong junior class and quality
sophomores back to lead Ohio Dominican in 2012. In GLIAC
competition, Ohio Dominican has a tough schedule ahead of it as it
looks ahead to battles against top league competition, including:
Hillsdale, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Ashland, Saginaw
Valley State and many more.

THE PLAYERS: Among the players expected to lead
Ohio Dominican this season are junior Tara Winner and sophomore
Caitlin Kusan as hitters. Kusan ranked among the conference’s
best in blocks (seventh) and hitting percentage (ninth) during her
freshman season. Another junior, Emily Post, ranked ninth in the
GLIAC in blocks and returns for the Panthers. Running the offense
will be the duty of ODU’s two returning setters: sophomore
Kelsey Snyder and Shifley. From a proficiency standpoint, the
Panthers ran a solid offense that allowed them to rank as one of
the top hitting teams in the GLIAC, statistically. They ranked
third in the league with a .209 attack percentage. Defensively,
Ohio Dominican hopes to improve and make life far tougher on the
offense of the opposition.

THE COACH: Sandy Rowley is a former Ohio
Dominican student, assistant coach, and now in her 24th season as
head coach of the Panther volleyball team, Sandy Rowley embodies
the Panther persona.

OF INTEREST: Ohio Dominican’s volleyball
team was one of four GLIAC schools to be recognized with the
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award
for the 2011-2012 academic year.

OVERVIEW: Saginaw Valley State finished with a
record of 18-11 overall and 15-4 in the league standings. The 15
GLIAC victories were the most in SVSU history as they clinched a
home playoff game as the third seed in the conference tournament.
SVSU lost six seniors to graduation last season, which means head
coach Will Stanton will have to rely heavily on a young but
talented group of individuals to produce. SVSU holds high hopes of
matching its second-place finish in the North Division in last
fall’s race for the GLIAC title. The Cardinals will also look
to participate in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five
seasons.

THE PLAYERS: The Cardinal offense will rely on
the agility of senior setter Sam Breault along with a group of
talented returners. Coach Stanton welcomes back a talented group of
seniors including Laurel Mattson, Sarah Robb and Megan Jones who
have big shoes to fill from last year’s senior-laden squad.
Sophomore Kelsey Ferla finished fourth on the team last year in
kills and will look to lead the Cardinal attack with help from
junior Lyndsay Reynolds and sophomore Kate Czopek. Saginaw Valley
also brings in a recruiting class consisting of four freshmen ready
to make an immediate impact.

THE COACH: Stanton begins his 10th season as the
head coach of the Cardinals. He is assisted this fall by Kait
Harris, Shannon Flippin and Jessica Stanton.

OF INTEREST: During his time at SVSU, Will
Stanton has coached the Cardinals to a 99-53 overall and 56-32
GLIAC record the past five seasons. Saginaw Valley received their
third NCAA Tournament bid in the past four years as Stanton
continues to recruit and make the SVSU Volleyball program one of
the premier programs in both the conference and region.

OVERVIEW: Once again, youth will be served in
2012 for the Tiffin University volleyball team. The Dragons
have six returning players among the 21 players on the
roster. TU went 6-13 in the GLIAC and was 7-21 overall in
2011.

THE PLAYERS: Leading the way is two-time
All-GLIAC selection, junior Danielle McQuade. McQuade, one of
five starters back, led the team with 3.56 kills per set (356) and
a .269 hitting percentage while averaging 2.89 digs per set.
Sophomore Tiffany Buchinger returns to quarterback the Dragons
after averaging 8.64 assists per set. Junior Jordan Jenkins looks
to take over the libero position from the graduated Lindsay
Heller. Jenkins was second on the team with 2.99 digs per set
and led the squad with 30 service aces. Senior Maggie Betz
and Maureen Kurtz both saw significant time as starters last
season. Tiffin brought in size and experience with a pair of
six-foot transfers, junior Brooke Friesen and sophomore Briana
Rosen. Friesen, an outside hitter, helped Western Wyoming
Community College go 79-9 over the last two seasons. Rosen, a
right side, averaged 1.83 kills and 1.64 digs per set with 41 total
blocks for Midway College (Ky.).

THE COACH: Tiffin is coached by Dana Cordova,
who is in her second season as the head coach of the Dragons.

OF INTEREST: The Dragons open the 2012 season
Aug 31 and Sept. 1 at the Christian Brothers Invitational in
Germantown, Tenn.

OVERVIEW: Walsh enters its first season in the
GLIAC coming off a strong season during which it finished 27-7
overall. The Cavaliers were perfect at home with a 13-0 record. The
team was strong on the road as well with a 7-2 record. Coming off
of that strong season, Walsh has a solid core group of talented
veterans well positioned to become leaders this fall on the
court.

THE PLAYERS: Julianne O’Donnell, a senior
outside hitter, and junior middle blocker Paige Chandler are among
the leaders for the Cavaliers this season on the court. Krissy
Sokol, a junior, also is a returner for Walsh entering the 2012
season. O’Donnell finished with 460 kills, 326 digs and 37
aces. Chandler finished with 284 kills in 2011 and 67 digs. Sokol
totaled 235 kills, 49 service aces and 69 total blocks, including
21 solo blocks. Hannah Duran, returning this season as a senior,
brings experience to the setter position for the Cavaliers. Duran
finished with 1,057 assists, 240 digs and 38 kills

THE COACHES: Walsh is coached by Erin Foster,
who is in her third season as the head coach of the Cavaliers.

OF INTEREST: Foster played her college
volleyball at NCAA I Cleveland State University from 2000-04 as a
middle blocker.

OVERVIEW: Wayne State returns 12 letterwinners
from a 2011 squad which qualified for the GLIAC Tournament for the
fourth straight season under the tenure of head coach Phil Nickel.
The Warriors have a talented cast of players returning this season
led by junior outside hitter Kristen Bulkiewicz, an All-GLIAC First
Team and AVCA All-Region pick in 2011. The Warriors posted a
third-place finish in the GLIAC South Division with a league record
of 10-9 to place the team behind 18-1 Hillsdale and 12-7
Ashland.

THE PLAYERS: Bulkiewicz led the Warriors with
402 kills last year, the most by a WSU player since 1997.
Other returnees include senior setter Cydney Biessel, one of three
players in WSU history with over 3,000 career assists; junior
middle blocker Nicole Arends, who led the Warriors in hitting
(.274) and blocking (93) last year; and senior libero Lindsey
Graciak, the 2011 GLIAC co-leader in digs (513). Redshirt
junior middle blocker Katarzyna Sak, a 2010 All-American who missed
last season with an injury, will also be back on the court for the
Warriors.

THE COACHES: Wayne State is coached by Phil
Nickel, who is entering his fifth season on the bench for the
Warriors.

OF INTEREST: Wayne opens the season Aug. 31 at
the Nova Southeastern Sharks Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.